In our opinion: Covering what matters to Utah families

Pat Eyre and his girlfriend, Kami Buist, of Bingham relax in the shade at the Vans Warped Tour in Salt Lake City on Saturday, August 6, 2011. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

When T.S. Elliot insightfully asked "Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?," his primary source of information was likely the finite pages of a daily newspaper.

Imagine what Elliot, who penned those lines in 1934, might have felt under today's seemingly infinite avalanche of information.

So much information. So little understanding.

The Deseret News, founded in 1850, is the second-oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi and has long been a trusted voice for news and information. Now with worldwide reach, the Deseret News is much more than a newspaper. Our goal is to be a voice of light and knowledge to hundreds of millions worldwide.

But our roots are still deeply planted in Utah and we are committed to helping Utah families survive the information avalanche by finding and reporting on the stories and issues that matter most to them. We know our readers seek in-depth reporting, commentary, insight and features that help them make a difference in their families and communities.

University of Phoenix student Trevor Hansen studies at his home in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 23, 2011. (Mike Terry, Deseret News)

To explain our commitment, we wanted to review some of what the Deseret News has been doing recently to provide not just information, but understanding about issues and events that matter to Utah families.

In a culture that increasingly misleads — and, perhaps, even lies to — our youth, the Deseret News is shining light on the "war" on adolescent boys and the overt sexualization of girls.

When two innocent boys who grew up in Utah were ruthlessly murdered in Seattle by their father, Josh Powell, the Deseret News explored how this troubled family struggled with so very many difficulties — including the plague of pornography.

How does a homeless family — who never thought they would be homeless — cope when they literally have nowhere to sleep? The Deseret News has followed the trails — and small triumphs — of such a family and others seeking solace from poverty.

When our nation suffered from the unspeakable horror of the Sandy Hook Elementary school murders, the Deseret News responded with an in-depth look at helping children cope and an analytical look at the balance between liberty and security.

When presidential politics led to a mini-firestorm about stay-at-home mothers, the Deseret News used data and personal profiles to look at the tradeoffs, benefits, challenges and rewards of being a full-time mother.

Analyzing revenue data for Hollywood-produced films, the Deseret News showed that even though PG-rated films gross (on average) nearly three-times as much money, Hollywood continues to produce more than twice as many R-rated films.

Theresa Williams grabs food for her family after a donation was dropped off at the Road Home's Midvale Community Shelter on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. The Williams family has been homeless for more than a year. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

Properly managing money — be it personal, corporate or governmental — might be one of life's biggest challenges. With Moneywise as a new weekly section devoted to financial responsibility, the Deseret News details issues as simple as the compounding savings from daily habits of thrift to the risk and ambition that has lead to unprecedented municipal bankruptcies.

While "middle America" seems to be abandoning marriage, with harsh ramifications for children, stability and the future, the Deseret News reported on how specific family- and marriage-friendly steps can change that trend.

As we look to 2013, The Deseret News is deepening its commitment to provide you with rigorously reported, nuanced and in-depth content that will help you and your family to be well-informed and confident. We hope that you will continue to look to the Deseret News each day for news, information and insight that will help you navigate your life.

In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a school bus rolls toward a memorial in Newtown, Conn., for victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (Associated Press)